Apparatus for playing golf in restricted spaces or indoors



H. HILL Nov. 11, 1930.

APPARATUS FOR PLAYING GOLF IN RESTRICTED SPACES OR INDOORS Filed Feb. 27, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l 0.00% O coc wTfiu cocoa Nov. 11, 1930. H. HILL ,230

APPARATUS FOR PLAYING GOLF IN RESTRICTED SPACES OR INDOORS Filed Feb. 27, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 11, 1930 UNITED srrss PATENT OFF-ice.-

HENRY HILL, or PAIGNTON, ENGLAND APPARATUS FOR PLAYING eo'Lr IN nns'rnrornn spaces on INDOOBS Application filed February 27, 1929, Serial N'o. 343,042, and in Great Britain November 13, 1928. v

This invention relates to new or improved apparatus for playing golf in a restricted area or indoors and the object is to enable the players to play the game subject to the usualcharacteristics or features and also to the vicissitudes inherent to real golf, such as, for example, the effects of pull and slice, usually caused by imperfect play, and so that the game depends for the greater part on the skill and judgment of the players. 7

According to this invention, the apparatus for playing golf in a restricted space or area, such as on a small lawn or in an ordinary room, comprises a course-board, marked off '15 to represent a golf-course with a plurality of small squares or subdivisions, dots and/or holes, principally intended to indicate units of distance and for marking or pegging the positions of the players balls during the progress of the game, the said course-board being also coloured or marked so as to represent greens, holes, teeing grounds or tees, fairways and hazards or impediments, such as bridges, trees, rough, heather, gorse,

2 rushes, bunkers, water, lost ball, out of bounds and so on, devices such as pegs or the like to indicate or represent the positions of the golf balls on the course and adapted to be inserted in any of the said marking holes, an instrument for propelling a ball, such as a putter, (a kind of club used in playing golf), a ball, such as a golfball, a playing ground, such as a platform,

slope or table having a plurality of receptacles, such as holes, cups or pockets, any one of which is adapted to receive the golf ball when struck by the club, a stroke-indicator, marked to indicate the distance from the holes or cups at which the ball is to be placed prior to being struck, and a score-board provided with a plurality of rows of indications or figures, each of which rows is applicable for one kind of club or other device for propelling the ball, if there be more than one such device presumed to be used, and each figure or cipher over a cup or hole representing a length of shot to be marked on the course-board in accordance with the result of the shot taken, principally on the assumption that the ball is holed in the manner desired by the player. The course-board is, I

conveniently, made in the formof a table, the score-board may be arranged in a more or less upright position and may be adj acent to the course-board and the platform or slope, with the cups or holes to receive a ball, such as a golf-ball, is in front of and,

preferably, adjacent to the lower edge of the score-board. The stroke-indicator is con- Figure 1 is a plan of a course-board are ranged and marked to represent a-golf course with nine holes. 7

Figure 2 is a detail to a larger scale showing a hole on the'course-board and the arrangement of marking dots or holes for pegs surrounding it. a

Figure 3 is a side elevation to a smaller scale of the apparatus comprising the courseboard a, the scoreboard and platform or slope, all hinged togetherand V Figure 4: is an end elevation thereof.

Figure 5 is a plan of a device referred to as a stroke-indicator. V d Figure ,6 is a view of a putter.

Figure 7 represents a golf ball.

Figure 8 illustrates in elevation a peg for marking the supposed position of a players ball on the course-board. V e v Figure 9 is an elevation of a bead for use on the course-board after making a shot and in conjunction with a second marking pegQ Figure 10 is a verticalfsection of a modified form of markingv peg and Figure 11 is a perspective view of a stud for marking a hole when a player has holed out. g w

in carrying the invention into effect and ac,- cording to one suitable construction shown and of being folded or collapsedaagainst, the lower side of the course-board, one

- "pair of legs 0 being then adapted to} in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 41 the course-board a is, conveniently, made in the formofa' tabletop, provided with four legs which are in two pairs, marked 6 and 0, respectively, each pair being rigidlyconnected together and hinged V at one end at (Z and ,6, respectively, so as to be capable of supporting the course-board at a suitable height above the ground or floor fold within and in the same plane as the other pair cl for convenience in transport and storage, 1n accordance with a'com-e mon practice 1n connectlon with folding tables." To one edge of the course-board a is hinged at f the score-board 9, comprising two vertical members and five horizontal 'me'mbers, suitably spaced apart and firmly connected-together. To the free-end of the score-board gis hinged at h a sloping platform 2' having fiveholes or cups 16, 17 18, 19

' V and '20 (of which one is indicated in dotted course-board and their distance apart in a straight line may be assumedzto represent or be equal to say, twenty yards and, taken diagonally, twenty-five yards.'- The margins of the course-board are marked 1, 2, 3 andso 011 to represent units of twenty yards.

The tees t t and so on are, conveniently, marked with a rectangular device. The holes 7 '0 to 0 inclusive, corresponding in each case to the hole on a green of the course-board, are suitably surrounded asshown in Figure 2 bya circle within two series of holes arranged in the form of squares, one within the other. The inner square may consistof'eight peg- 7 holes and the outer square of sixteen peg holes. "Fairways p,- rou-gh g, heather 1',

, brackens, bunkers u (hazards) gorse '0', water w, a foot-bridge m (hazard), crushes y, bushes 2, trees 11, upright railway sleepers 12, a railway bridge 13, railway 14 (also considered as being outside of the course) and signal box window 15 are suitably indicated pictorially or diagrammatically on the'course board. Outside of the courseorboard-area and the railway are considered out-ofbounds and-involve the penalty of one stroke.

ciphers or ordinals 02 4 2 and O. l

' The scoreboard 9 (Figures 3 and 4) has its upperhorizontal member marked from left to right at a uniform distance apart with the The. left hand vertical'member or both vertical members'is or are provided with a label marked Niblick-in line with the aforesaid coloured white. 7

row of ciphers. Similarlyarranged rows be- .low are marked respectively The Nibli'ck label is conveniently yellow in colour, the Mashie label is green, the

Iron? label is blue, the Brassie label is. pink and the Driverlabelis white.

' The slope or platform 2' (Figures 3 and 4) slopes up; at an angle of about twenty-live degrees towards the'bottom of the score-board gandhas the five cups marked, 16, 17 18, 19 and 20 arranged in arow,each cup beingunder a figure in the horizontal superposed rows of figures onthe score board, If desired, there is j a low wall21 at the back of the slope or-plat-' form z shapedso as to-come quite close to the central cup 18 and tapering towards each end extending on each side to the-vicinity of the upright members of the score-board g and a gap 22 is left between the low wall and the lower horizontal membe'riof the score-board,

Wide enough vertically toallow the ball (Figure 7 to pass through, if too violently struck with the club an (Figure 6) by the player. The two cups 16and 17 on the left are, conveniently, marked 2 pull ;and'-1 pull re spectively,-.the middle cup 18 is unmarked and the two cups 19 and 20 on the right thereof are marked, respectively l slice; and 2 A convenientlconstruction of stroke-indicator adapted "to be co'llapsedor folded when not in use, consists, a's shown in Figure 5, of ten strips 23 of wood or other suitable ma, terial. pivoted or'hinged together at Qet in lazy-tongs fashion; The projecting end of the rear member'is marked Driver and marked-Brassie and coloured pink, the] next, Iron, coloured Mashie, coloured greenyand' the last is marked-N ibli ck'and coloured yellow. The member 1s projecting end of the. front its coloured white, the next-parallel thereto, is

blue, the next V A chart of pl'ay'suitably' accompanies apparatus for playing the game and contains, for instance, t is following information, together with smallillustrations of the ground corresponding to the" different colouringan'd devices on the course:board'and'the names of clubs adapted to be used indifferent circum'-' stances, such as z- -Tee-driveri; Fairwaybrassie Rough-iron, Heather-mashie Bracken-niblick; Bunker- (hazard)-nib-' lick. (Note :Putter must not touch'the ii o groundwhen addressing the ball; Otherwise penalty 1 stroke) Gorse-niblick (Note*:% Play diagonal shot and add pull or slice diagonally) flVater-brassie (,Notez Place ball on any dot not-nearer thehole, penalty- 1- stroke) Foot-bridge (hazard)- iron '(N0te: P utter 'must :not touch the mashie (Note :-?lay cross-shot, add pull or slice); Tree-mashie (Note :A shot pass ing through tree in flight or hitting tree, place on dot at stump, play cross-shot, add pull or slice) Upright rail sleepers-niblick (Note :The ball is assumed to drop'back into bunker, place in bunker); Railway (also outside course)(Note :-Out i of bounds, play shot from original position, penalty 1 stroke); Signal-box window- (Note :-lt is assumed that player breaks window, pay donation to charity, out of bounds-penalty 1 stroke); The green and the hole, Note :-Putt from front white indicator if shot lands in a dot next to hole proper and putt from rear white (driver) indicator if shot lanes in a dot next but one to the hole proper); llote:A diagonal shot is played through the dots diagonally. A cross shot is played through the dots at right angles to the direct line.

Two pegs, such as marked 25 and shown in Figure 8, are used for marking by each player, each player having pegs differing to colour from those of his opponent. A marking bal 26 (Figure 9), consisting of a bead, may also be used by each player and the marking ball is slipped off the peg from where the shot commenced and placed on the peg which marks where the shot finishes. The peg 25 is shown in dotted lines in Figure If desired, all the pegs are hollow except near the point as shown in Figure 10 so that, if a hole is halved, a peg 2 belonging to each may be used in one hole or dot,'that is, one peg is placed in the other peg and both pegs mark the same hole. ,The two balls 26 may be used, or not, as desired. Small blue and yellow discs or studs 28, Figure 11, are conveniently employed to mark the holes won by tae different players and the discs or studs, being of different colours or marked in a distinguishing manner, indicate to which player they belong.

In playing and, for example, when commencing. the honour is decided, as usual, by lot. The player takes the first shot by placing the golf ball Z (Figure 7) opposite the point of the stroke-indicator 23 (Figure 5), marked Driver, and on striking it with his clubm (Figure 6) endeavours, of course, to make the ball fall into the central cup 18 (Figure a). If that occurs, he is entitled to place one of his pegs in the twelfth hole or dot up the fairway towards the first hole 0 (Figure 1) because the ball has fallen'in the central cup under the central figure 12 on the score-board inline with the word Driver and that indicates his score. Should the ball drop into one of the cups 1'? or 19 he scores 10 because 10 is the figure above that cup on the score board. If the ball drops into either of the cups 16 or 20, he scores 8 but if the ball should miss and not drop intoany cup, the player only scores half the outside number, that is 4:- The next pointto decide is whether apenalty for. pull or slice is to be imposed. Assuming the player wishes to avoid pull and slice, he plays the golf ball from the same place as before and en deavours to cause it to drop into the central cup and, if successful, the shot is assumed to be straight and neither pull nor slice is V imposed. Should, however, the ball drop into the left inside hole 17 marked above Pull 1, he places his marking peg 25 or 27- in the peg hole or dot to the left of the peg hole or dot indicating-his score for his shot. If the ball drops into the left outside-hole 16 marked above Pull 2, he places his peg two dots (or peg holes) to the left of the score on the course-board. Similarly, if the' ball drops into the right hand inside hole19x marked above Slice 1, he places his-peg in the peg-hole or dot to the right of peg-hole, indicating his score and so on. This method causes the effect to be imposed of either pull, that is, a deviation to the left hand side of the line of the intended stroke, or slice, that is, a deviation to the right hand side of the line of the intended stroke, as before explained, and is subject to modifica tion in skill or otherwise of producing the effect of swerve'in the-flight or direction of a golf-ball.

A diagonal shot shall be played from within six inches of the angle or point of the score-indicator if from the slice side of the green (on the course-board) or from 3 six inches on the opposite boundary if from the pull side. Pull or slice is then added diagonally.

The remaining shots to The green on the course are played strictly in accordance with the chart of play that is to say, the club represented in colours must correspond on the stroke-indicator, scoreboard and chart. Then pull or slice is added, if to be imposed, to each shot as hereinbefore explained. The following are the clubs presumed to be used and their colours and thelatter tally on the stroke-indicator 23, the score-board g and the chart Driver, white; brassie, pink;.iron, blue, mashie, green; and niblick, yellow.

lNhen the green is ultimately reached by either player, the shot may have been pegged into either the outside or inside square of peg-holes or dots surrounding the hole, see Figure 2. If onxthe outside square, then the player must putt from the back or rear white (driver) mark of the stroke indicator 23. If on the inside square, he must putt from the front white mark 70. The central or real hole (0, 0 and so on) on the green on the course-board must be holed to constitute holing out, that is to saythe olf ball must be V putted into the central hole 18 (Figure :4)fto constituteho'ling out in the central or real i hole on the green on the courseboard. If the next shot, if on his line. If the ball over-runs hole to equalize the strokes.

I distinguish them.

the cups an'dpasses through the gap 22 (Figure 4), the shotshall bepegged in a direct jli'ne'pastthe hole on 'the' icourse to a dot over the reen.;

If the golf-ball enters any cup-except the central cup 18 (Figure 4;), it shallbe putted at the next turn fro-m the frontwhite mark is I on the stroke-indicator (Figure 5). 1 Diagonal putts are takenin the same man- 1161 as diagonal shots as hereinbefore explained. This'constitutes the effect'ofan undulationion a real golf-course, due .toslight rnounds, hollo-ws on slopes, and gives the Y golfer more difficulty in determining the line totake to hole-out a putt. A similar effect is produced with this apparatus byplaying up to the central c'upfrom any direction except directly in front owing to the slope being in two'jdirections, that is, in thedirection towards the hole and laterally thereto. Neither pull nor slice is reckoned when putting on the green.

r The players thus win or lose a hole or halve it and count so many holes up or down as the game continues and mark them on the courseboard a with the yellow ori' blu'e studs .28 *to The honour, that is, the first shot, is-decided, aspreviously indicated by lot and the winner of a hole takes the honour on the next tee. The white pegs take the honour at every hole' o'n the course, but the player with the red pegs always has the final shot at every The players conveniently use cards on which to mark their scores as usual.

\Vhilst the above descriptionsets forth a suitable method of using the apparatus for playing the game ofgolf, modifications may i be introduced in the method of playing and also in the apparatus without necessarily departing from theinvention. I Iclaim: V

:1. Apparatus for playing golf in a re stricted space comprising a course-board, marked offto represent a golf-course, marked at intervals to indicate units ofdistance for determining the positions of the players bails during the progress of the game, the said course-board also marked to represent greens, tees,- fairways, holes and hazards, devices to indicate the positions of the golf balls on the course-board, a ball, an instrument for prope'lling the ball, aplaying ground having a plurality of holes therein, each hole adapted to receive the-said ball when struck by the player,,a stroke indicator marked to indicate on the said score-board, also forming vertical columns above the said holes in the playing ground for determining the distance the ball said rows bein-g applicable forone kind of in strument arbitrarily selected by the player and theindication in each column to be taken shall travelon the course-board, each of-the into account being dependent on the particu- 'lar hole, if any, in the-playing ground into 1 which the player succeeds in driving the ball,

substantially as set forth.

2. Apparatus for playing golf in a restricted space comprising a course-board, marked end of the said course-board in a substan-c tially upright position, a slope located at the lower end of the said score-board and resting on the ground,'h'oles, each adapted to receive the ball in front of the lower edge showing different distances from the said holes at which the ball isto of thesaid scoring-board, and a stroke-in- 'dicatorfor be placed prior to being struck by the said instrument, substantially as set forth.

.3. Apparatus for playing golfin a restricted space comprising a course-board, marked off to represent 'a' golf-course,

marked at intervals to indicate units of distance longitudinally and transversely? for determining the positions of the players balls on'the course-board during the progress of the I- game, legs for supporting the said coursesboard ata convenient level'abovo the'ground and in a substantially horizontal position, a ball, an instrument for pro 'pelling the ball, a score-board, a plurality of horizontal rows of uniformly spaced indicationsof distance on the said score-board, the

said indications also forming a plurality of vertical columns, hinges for connecting the upper edge of the said score-board tothe course-board, a slope, a plurality of hori-V zontally located holes in said slope, each hole being located under a column of indications in the said score-board, a low wall at the necting the upper end of the said slope to upper end of-the said slope, hinges for con thelower end of the score-board, and: a

stroke-indicator for showing different. distances fromthe said holes atwhich the ball is to be placed prior to being struck by the lazy-tongs device, so marked, indicating the said instrument, substantially as set forth.

4. In apparatus for playing golf in a restricted space, the combination with a substantially horizontally disposed courseboard of a substantially vertically disposed score-board comprising two vertical members and a plurality of horizontal members, each provided with a row of uniformly spaced numerals indicating distances the said superposed numerals also forming vertical columns of numerals, a slope. a pluralposition in which the ball is to be placed prior to being struck by the said instrument substantially as described.

HENRY HILL.

ity of spaced holes located in the said slope I and each hole located substantially below a column of numerals, a low wall at the upper end of the said slope bent so that it is nearest to the hole in the middle of the row of holes and more remote from the terminal holes and is of such a height as will leave sufi'icient space between it and the l0wermost horizontal member of the score-board for a ball topass through, substantially as described.

5. In apparatus for playing golf in a restricted space, the combination with a substantially horizontally disposed courseboard. marked to represent a golf-course, a substantiallv vertically disposed scoreboard provided with a plurality of spaced numerals forming a pluralitv of horizontal rows and vertical columns of numerals, a slope provided with a plurality of holes, each hole located below a vertical column of ciphers. a ball. and an instrument for propell ng the ball, of a stroke-indicator marked at intervals along its length with the names of different instruments and adapted to indicate when placed in a determined position in relation to the slope. the position in which the ball is to be placed prior to being struck by the instrument, substantially as described.

6. In apparatus for plaving golfv in a restricted space, the combination with a substantially horizontally disposed courseboard. a substantially vertically disposed score-b ard provided with a plurality of rows of spaced numerals forming also'vertical columns of numerals, each horizontal row of numerals referring to a different imaginary instrument by which the imaginary ball is supposed to be propelled on the course-board, a slope provided with a plurality of holes, each hole located below one of the said vertical columns of numerals, a ball and an instrument for propelling the ball, of a stroke-indicator comprisinga plurality of lever-members pivoted together to form a lazy-tongs device, some of said members which are parallel to each other being .marked with the name of an instrument,

each of which instruments corresponds to that designating one of the said horizontal rows of numerals and the members of the 

